Pages

Monday, January 7, 2013

Review: Sex Is All Metaphors

Sex Is All Metaphors collects Jean Roberta's nonfiction columns about sex. It's a strong, engaging read, well worth the time.

Jean Roberta writes about the politics, practicalities, and ethics of sex with cogent passion. She seems to engage all of herself to make her points — body, mind, and heart - and this gives powerful integrity to the positions she takes.

I didn't agree with everything she says, but every column gave me food for thought. She is quite liberal, and so am I, so it was nice to find that her positions still challenged me (I feel weird whenever I read something that makes me think I'm in an echo chamber).

Roberta's essays ring with voice and personality. She tackles plenty of subjects that are taboo in mainstream culture, and plenty more that are taboo even among the erotica writing community her columns first addressed.

This book is a simple collection, in chronological order, of columns from July 2008 to November 2010. Therein lies my main quibble. In single-author essay collections, I enjoy the sense that single writings piece together throughout the work to construct a larger argument over time. I don't think that happens when pieces are read in simple chronology. I'd have loved if the pieces were arranged topically, or ordered to build on each other a bit more. As it was, the book ended abruptly after the last essay, when the designated period of time covered ended, and I was left wishing it had ended with some sort of statement of summation (or even a previously-written essay that could serve as such).

With a clear afterword or more sense of completion, this book would have been a 5 for me.

MakerSex

My Newsletter!

Subscribe to Annabeth Leong's Mailing List (updates no more than 1/month)

Now Available

Celia Lambent lives in constant conflict. Her sexual appetite is voracious, and yet she cannot bear to be touched. Untouched is a raunchy journey of voyeurism and discovery as Celia seeks the cause and cure for her condition.

About Me

Annabeth Leong is frequently confused about her sexuality but enjoys searching for answers.

She writes about a range of orientations, in stories from sweet to dark.

She frequents the haunts of H.P. Lovecraft, lives in the midst of a teetering tower of piled-up books, and can often be found at the rock climbing gym.

She has performed her work at events both kinky and literary, including Sticky Stories Boston, Readercon, the Fetish Fair Flea Market, and Bound in Boston. She hopes to win Providence Sex Trivia one day, but so far she's had to satisfy herself with second place.

She receives email, and answers rather slowly, at annabeth dot leong at gmail dot com. Find her on Twitter @AnnabethLeong